Experiment Zr012

We promise you will see the Zr012 Experiment Nitro-Glycerine this time.

So as promised here it is in the flesh as it may be…. the C3H5N3O9 or Nitro-Glycerine Watch by the guys behind URWEK and MB&F as presented to us at SalonQP by Ian Skellern or Under the Dial as you may all know him.

The first photo is of the C3H5N3O9 on my wrist if you couldn’t guess

and now for a few more different angles of the Experiment on the wrist and against the odds and looks it fits superbly and comfortable on the wrist even my small 6 3/4 inch wrist, which by chance is exactly the same size as Ian’s, this great fit is all down to the moving top lug and positioning, but more on this in the full article coming soon on The Watch Review Site.

Just look at how it hugs the wrist below.

and the strap is nice too, and it closes by itself effectively no pressure required

Enough of the WOMW shots, as need to keep some back for the article and onto a few other photographs of this limited edition masterpiece, oh and we are told a Rose Gold version is in the pipeline…

As for that wankle movement here is a clear one for you movement fanatics, and watching it turn and move is a sight, its so perfectly balanced and needs to be.

We nearly forgot the caseback of the Experiment ZR012 C3H5N3O9 an piece of work itself, whereas the face and top of the case is very space age, mechanical and heavy looking, the case-back has been made more subtle more organic and animal like, softer to contrast the front of the watch but compliment it also.

and a close up of the Power reserve

Experiment Zr012 Website - www.c3h5n3o9.com/experiment-zr012-p1.php

Experiment ZR012 Details

Telling the time

In the image above, the time is 5:36
Experiment  ZRO12 indicates hours and minutes with two Wankel engine eccentric rotating Reuleaux polygons (triangular-shaped rotors). Hours are indicated by the lower rotor along the front of the 'dial'. Minutes are indicated by the smaller upper rotor.

Case and Lugs

The case of Experiment ZR012 is in zirconium, which is derived from the mineral zircon. Visually zirconium is similar to titanium and is highly resistant to corrosion.
The lugs are in titanium. The compound front lug and articulated rear lug wrap ergonomically around the wrist and ensure a high level of comfort.
The case dimensions are 55mm x 44mm (excluding lugs).

Epitrochoid hours and minutes

Time is indicated by the tips of the Reuleaux polygon rotors tracing epitrochoid curves.
To create the complex shape of the hour and minute epitrochroid curves with the high precision required, 180 separate points were plotted.
There is tolerance of just 0.20mm between the triangular rotors - the special shape is actually called a Reuleaux polygon - and the hour and minute marked epitchroids surrounding them.

Power reserve indicator

Turning Experiment ZR012 over reveals the power reserve indicator.
The movement has an autonomy of 39 hours and should be wound by the screw down crown when the indicator approaches the red zone.

Experiment ZR012 complication

The Releaux polygon (triangular-shaped) rotors are eccentric, i.e. not mounted directly to the central 'crankshaft' and they demand considerable time, skill and patience to set up correctly in assembly process.

At these minuscule dimensions, the thickness of one tooth on the gears is not fine enough to precisely align the hour and minute wankels - normally you adjust by a complete tooth. To ensure extremely high precision adjustment, the fixed wheels can be rotated slightly (then re-fixed) to allow fine adjustment and synchronised precision between the hour and minute indicators.
To understand how the eccentric releaux polygon indicators rotate, please view the animated illustration on the Wankel Engine detail page of this website